"[Greek: Heudonti kurtos hairei]. Dormienti rete trahit."]

_Rings formerly worn by Ecclesiastics._--In describing the finger-ring
found in the grave of the Venerable Bede, the writer of _A brief Account of
Durham Cathedral_ adds,--

"No priest, during the reign of Catholicity, was buried or enshrined
without his ring."--P. 81.

I have seen a similar statement elsewhere, and wish to ask, 1st, Were
priests formerly buried with the ring? 2ndly, If so, was it a mere custom,
or was it ordered or authorised by any rubric or canon of our old English
Church?

I am very strongly of opinion that such never was the custom, and that the
statement above quoted has its origin in the confounding priests with
bishops. Martene says, when speaking of the manner of burying bishops,--

"Episcopus debet habere annulum, quia sponsus est. Caeteri sacerdotes
non, quia sponsi non sunt, sed amici sponsi vel vicarii."--_De Antiquis
Ecclesiae Ritibus_, lib. III. cap. xii. n. 11.

CEYREP.

_Butler's "Lives of the Saints."_--Can any of your correspondents supply a
correct list of the various editions of this popular work? The notices in
Watt and Lowndes are very unsatisfactory.

J. YEOWELL.

_Marriage of Cousins._--It was asserted to me the other day that marriage
with a _second_ cousin is, by the laws of England, illegal, and that
succession to property has been lately barred to the issue of such
marriage, though the union of _first_ cousins entails no such consequences.
Is there any foundation for this statement?

J. P.

_Castle Thorpe_[4], _Bucks._--A traditional rhyme is current at this place
which says that--

"If it hadn't been for Cobb-bush Hill,
Thorpe Castle would have stood there still."

or the last line, according to another version,--

"There would have been a castle at Thorpe still."

Now it appears from Lipscomb's _History_ of the county, that the castle was
demolished by Fulke de Brent about 1215; how then can this tradition be
explained?

Cobb-bush Hill, I am told, is more than half a mile from the village.

H. THOS. WAKE.

[Footnote 4: Pronounced _Thrup_.]

_Where was Edward II. killed?_--Hume and Lingard state that this monarch
was murdered at Berkeley Castle. Echard and Rapin are silent, both as to
the event and as to the locality. But an earlier authority, viz. Martyn, in
his _Historie and Lives of Twentie Kings_, 1615, says:

"He was committed to the Castle of Killingwor